Former Bayonne resident charged with sex abuse of special needs boy

In one video, Genao was filming the victim and flipped the camera around to wipe the lens off, recording his own face in the process, authorities said

Star Ledger file photo

A former Bayonne resident and his partner sexually abused an underage, special needs boy and videotaped the acts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said yesterday afternoon.

Richard Genao, 51, of Carlstadt, was charged with child exploitation after the family of his partner, Edgar Rodriguez, turned over video and photos of Genao and Rodriguez in sex acts with the Bayonne boy, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

According to the criminal complaint, the incidents occurred before, during, and after the summer of 2010, when Rodriguez and Genao lived in Bayonne.

Authorities said that some time before that summer, Rodriguez and Genao became friendly with the victim and his mother. The complaint also said the victim spent some weekends with Rodriguez and Genao.

Rodriguez and Genao moved to Buffalo, N.Y., last fall, and Rodriguez died on Aug. 31, authorities said.

After Genao moved back to New Jersey in September, Rodriguez’s family in Buffalo found a camera equipped to take videos and a memory card that Genao left behind in the Buffalo home the two men shared, authorities said.

After seeing some of the images, the family members turned the memory card and camera over to authorities, officials said.

In one video, Genao was filming the victim and flipped the camera around to wipe the lens off, recording his own face in the process, authorities said.

The victim, who was 14 or 15 at the time of the alleged abuse, confirmed to law enforcement officials last week the sexual abuse occurred and was recorded by Genao, according to investigators.

If found guilty of child exploitation, Genao faces a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.